Device for rapidly unwinding excess wire storage



E. J. KING, JR 2,934,281

DEVICE FOR RAPIDLYUNWINDING EXCESSWIRE STORAGE April 26, 1960 Filed Nov. 21, 1957 v l I DEVICE FOR RAPIDLY UNWINDING EXCESS WIRE STORAGE Edward J. King, Jr., Leawood, Kans., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Collins Radio Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application November 21, 1957, Serial No. 697,820

4 Claims. (Cl. 242-4) This invention relates in general to coil winding machines and more particularly to toroidal coil winding machines.

In the usual coil winding machine applicable to toroidal coils, a bobbin interleaved with the coil form is utilized. For winding, the bobbin is broken, the coil form inserted, and the bobbin closed. More than enough wire is then wound onto the bobbin to wind the desired coil. Once the coil has been made, the remainder of the wire must be removed in order to break the bobbin for removal of the completed coil.

In the prior art machines no provision is made for unwinding excess wire from the bobbin after a coil has been wound. The methods available to the machine operator previous to this invention have usually consisted of a bare hands approach. In the advance of automation in coil winding, this bare hands approach does not aid in speeding up production.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a means for unwinding the wire from the bobbin by the action of the machine itself.

It is a feature of this invention that a transverse means is extened into the plane of the wire being wound on the toroidal coil providing a very large coil which is easily cut and removed.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

The figure shows an isometric view of a toroidal coil winding machine with the invention installed thereon.

In the figure a broken ring bobbin is mounted on three rollers, 11, 12, and 13. The three rollers provide both a rigid mounting and a drive for rotating the ring. Rollers 11, 12, and 13 are mounted by a mechanism con tained within box 14 which provides the drive for these rollers and also for the angular position of the coil form mounting vise 15. This drive and positioning mechanism is not shown since it is old and well known in the art.

The toroidal coil form core 16 is mounted in vise 15. Vise pivots on its shaft 17 about an axis which passes through the center of the toroidal coil form 16. Both the vise-supporting shaft 17 and the roller drive mechanism 14 are mounted on a base 18. Base 18 is mounted on a bench or some other support for the convenience of the operator.

Also mounted on base 18 is an electromagnetic actuator mechanism designated by reference numeral 20. The actuator mechanism 20 positions a finger mounting shaft 21. The mounting shaft 21 is mounted for rotation with respect to the base 18 by means of a bracket 38. The actuator 20 is illustrated as being a solenoid arrangement consisting of a section of hollow toroid core 34 upon which a winding 25 is placed. Core 34 is atlixed to the base 18 by means of a clamping means 39. The end 36 of shaft 21 may then be drawn within the hollow center 35 of the core 34 upon closure of the States Patent electrical circuit generally designated by reference numeral 22. Upon opening of the electrical circuit, the shaft 21 returns to a rest position illustrated by the force of a return spring 37 secured between the end 36 of shaft 21 and the mounting base 18. The circuit 22 comprises a circuit closer 23, a power source 24, and the electrical coil 25 of the'electromagnetic actuator 20. Circuit closer 23 is illustrated as a push button switch. In instances where a turn counter is used and it is de sired that the mechanism actuate at the end of a certain number of turns, circuit closer 23 may be a relay or other circuit closing device in the counting means. In such instance, the electromagnetic actuator is controlled by the number of turns laid on the coil form.

"Finger mounting shaft 21 carries a lateral arm 26 from which extends a transverse means or a finger 27. This transverse finger is carried in an area of the machine which permits the rotation of shaft 21 between two extreme positions. The first position is such that the finger 27 is completely out of the plane of the ring bobbin 10. The other position is with the transverse finger extending across all of the volume within thering bobbin. The finger is perpendicular to the plane of the bobbin or hooked slightly as a J so that wire caught by it is retained thereby.

In use of the invention, a toroidal coil form such as 16 is interlinked with the bobbin 10 and mounted in the vise 15. Wire is then run onto bobbin 10 in excess of the amount needed to wind the desired coils on the coil form 16.

In the drawing, a coil 30 is shown being wound. The solid-line wire 3-1 extending between the coil 30 and the slider 32 illustrates how the wire moves through the plane of the ring bobbin. As the winding of coil 30 progresses, the angular position of vise 15 is accomplished by rotation of shaft 17 by the mechanism. As the ring bobbin is rotated by mechanism 14, the wire strand 31 passes through the plane within the bobbin.

Upon the need for unwinding the bobbin without winding unwanted turns oncoil form 16, the circuit closer 23 is operated. This energizes the electromagnetic actuator 20 and rotates the mounting shaft 21.

Upon rotation of mounting shaft 21, the finger 27 is brought from its rest position, shown in solid line, into the operating position, shown in dashed line. The finger in the actuated 'position is then transverse the plane through which the wire passes. As shown in dashed line at 33, the excess wire is now looped over the transverse finger 27 as well as the toroidal form 16. Winding is continued until all of the wire is wound off the bobbin 10. At this point the coil and form 16 can be removed from the bobbin for removal of the undesired wire and further manufacturing steps.

Although this invention has been described with re spect to particular embodiments thereof, it is not to be so limited because changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a toroidal coil winding machine of the type comprising a ring bobbin having an axis perpendicular thereto, said ring bobbin carrying. on its circumference wire to be wound on a toroid, means mounting said bobbin, said mounting means driving said bobbin in rotation about the bobbin axis for unwinding the wire carried by said bobbin; means for rapidly unwinding excess wire from said ring bobbin comprising positionable finger means, mounting means for disposing said finger means between the bobbin axis and the circumference of said bobbin, said finger means normally withdrawn from the plane of said bobbin and finger positioning means for selectively moving said finger means into the plane of said bQbbiu.

'2.Excess wire unwinding means as defined in claim 1 wherein -said -fingerpositioning means comprises electromagnetic means cooperating with said finger mounting means.

,3. 'In acoil winding machine wherein wire is" transferred from a ring-type bobbin-tea toroidal coil form, the ring bobbin being received through said coil form and rotatable-about an axis perpendicular to the plane ofrsaid bobbin, the improvementcomprising fingermeans perpendicular to and adjacent the plane of-said ring bobbin, saidfinger means disposed radially inwardly from the circumference of said bobbin, electromagnetically actuated support meansfor said finger means; said support means adapted to-move said finger into .theplane of said bobbinito-intercept-said wire-and thereby-in- 15 2,793,817

crease the size of the coil of wire transferred from said bobbin to said toroidal coil form.

4. A coil winding machine'as defined in claim 3 wherein said finger means when activated is disposed transversely within said bobbin ring at a point substantially diametrically opposite said toroidal coil form.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,123,254 Pash July 12, 1938 2,367,489 Dowd Ian. 16, 1945 2,726,817 Barrows .Dec. 13, 1955 Clarke May 28, 1957 

